GOP Senate nominee Rand Paul opposes US citzenship for children born to illegal immigrants

ROGER ALFORD
Associated Press Writer
12:23 PM PDT, May 28, 2010

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul is stirring it up again, this time by saying he opposes citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are illegal immigrants.

Paul, who a week ago won the GOP primary, told a Russian TV station in a clip circulating on political Web sites Friday that he wants to block citizenship to those children.

"We're the only country I know that allows people to come in illegally, have a baby, and then that baby becomes a citizen," Paul told RT, an English-language station, shortly after his win over GOP establishment candidate Trey Grayson. "And I think that should stop also."

Legislation dubbed the Birthright Citizenship Act was introduced in the House last year seeking to prevent citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants even though the 14th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees citizenship to everyone born in the U.S. More than 90 lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors.

Paul told the TV station that partisan politics may be at play in not stopping illegal immigration.

"I'm not opposed to letting people come in and work and labor in our country," Paul said. "But I think what we should do is we shouldn't provide an easy route to citizenship. A lot of this is about demographics. If you look at new immigrants from Mexico, they register three to one Democrat, so the Democratic Party is for easy citizenship and allowing them to vote. I think we need to address that."

Immigration advocates criticized Paul's stand on Friday as immoral.

"That's a very extremist position," said Manuel Perez-Rocha, a spokesman for the liberal Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies. "It comes at a very bad moment in history because it tends to polarize debate on immigration when it's most needed that both parties come to their senses so they can have serious discussion on the subject. It's immoral. It lacks compassion."

Campaign chairman David Adams said Friday that Paul stands behind his statements.

"Illegal immigration is a real problem in this country," Adams said, "and if we can't talk about this, what can we talk about?"

Paul faces Democrat Jack Conway, the state's attorney general, in the November general election. Conway was vacationing Friday with is wife and daughter and wasn't immediately available for comment on the immigration issue.

During the primary campaign, Conway said he would support tough but fair immigration legislation that would prevent illegal immigrants from benefiting from a country where they don't have permission to live.

The notion of stopping birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants wasn't raised during the primary, which isn't surprising since Kentucky isn't the magnet for illegal immigrants as some other places around the country.

University of Louisville political scientist Laurie Rhodebeck said Paul's position is no political liability in Kentucky where polls show people frown on illegal immigration.

"Clearly, people here seem to be even more in favor of tight control over immigration issues than folks nationwide," Rhodebeck said. "So, if Paul wants, he could take the issue and run with it."